Switch interlocking mechanism



(No Model.) .4 Sheets-Sheet 2. J. J. TURNER.

SWITCH INTERLOGKING MECHANISM.

N0. 536,668. Patented Apr. 2, 1895.

INVENTOR" gym 7 A'm/ (No Model.) 4 SheetsSheet a.

J. J. TURNER.

SWITCH INTERLOGKING MEOHANISM.

No. 536,668. Patented Apr. 2, 1895.

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(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 4. J. J. TURNER. SWITCH INTERLOCKINGMEGHANISM.

No. 536,668. Patented Apr. 2, 1895.

WITNESSES INYENTOR:

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES JEWETT TURNER, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

SWITCH INTERLOCKING MECHANISM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 536,668, dated April 2,1895.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, J AMEs J EWETT TURNER, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing in the city of Pittsburg, county of Allegheny, State ofPennsylvania, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement inSwitch Interlocking Mechanism, of which the following is a true andexact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,which form a part thereof.

My invention relates to the interlocking system used on railroads inconnection with will be from and to positions beneath the rail,

so that the bar never remains in a fixed position above the rail.

The nature of my invention will be best understood as described inconnection with the drawings in which it is illustrated, and in Which tFigure 1, is a plan view of a switch, switchlock, and detector-barcombined in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2, is a plan view on anenlarged scale showing the special construction of the switch-lock. Fig.3, is a cross section on the line :rm of Fig. 2. Fig. 4, is alongitudinal section on the line yy of Fig. 2. Fig. 5, is a perspectiveview of the end of the locking bar actuated by the switch; Fig. 6, aperspective view of the boltsoperating to lock the bar which the switchactuates. Fig. 7, is a diagrammatic view illustrating the relativeposition of the parts in the position shown in Fig. 1, and while theswitch is yet unlocked. Fig. 8, is a similar diagrammatic view showingthe position of the parts when the switch is moved and locked in its newposition, and Fig. 9, is a similar diagrammatic. 'view showingthe'position of the parts, the

switch being in the position indicated in Figs.

1 and 7, but the lock being in operation.

A and A indicate the fixed .or stock rails Application filed December27,189. Serial No. 533,059. (No model.)

of the switch, B B being the movable rails or switch points boundtogether at the ends byof the mechanism are secured.

E is what I may call the lock-box of the switch lock, it serving as asupport and guide for the movable parts of the look. It is provided witha longitudinal groove E in which moves the bolt carrying plate H, andwith a transverse groove E through which moves a locking bar G attachedto and moved by the switch point. In the construction shown, a plate Fis secured beneath the lock box E having in it a slot F which connectsand registers with the slot E the said plate F serving to support andguide the bar G. It will also be noticed that the lock box E is providedwith braces or extensions E which abut against the stock railA or A andare secured to the said rail by bolts. This is a very advantageousconstruction, principally for the reason that it insures that the lockbox will move with any movement of the stock rail, and thus willefiectually prevent the engagement of the switch look. This particularfeature of construction, however, forms the subject matter of anotherapplication for Letters Patent filed by me on the 27th day of December,1894, and bearing Serial No. 533,061.

It will be noticed that in the construction shown the lock bar G isprovided with notches G and G on its upper face, and that the boltcarrying plate H is provided with downwardly extending lugs or bolts Hand H the arrangement being such that when the switch is in oneposition, the notch G in the bar G will register with the bolt H so thatby a movement of the plate H the said bolt will enter the notch and lockthe switch in position. In the other position of the switch the notch Gwill register with the bolt H so that a movement of the plate H in theopposite direction will .force the bolt into the said notch, and lockthe switch in this position, the arrangement being such that each boltcan only enter its appropriate notch.

J J and J indicate portions of the switch actuating connection.

I is a rod connected with the plate H through the perforated lug H andthrough the bellcrank lever I with the connection 1 l l by which motionis given to the switch lock.

Besides moving the switch look I cause the switch lock connection togive motion also to a device which may be generally described asconsisting of two clutches so connected with the actuating line thatwith each movement of the said line connection they are moved inopposite directions. As shown these clutches consist of the forked endsL Z of the bellcrank levers L L and Z Z, the arms L and lot which arepivotally secured to the rod 1 The clutch carrying arms L and Z arearranged opposite to each other and so that the clutches will registerinthe position they occupy when the switch is unlocked. It will be readilyseen that by this construction each movement of the connection 1 willcause the clutches to move in opposite directions.

In another application filed by me on the 27th day of December, 1894,and bearing Serial No. 533,060,'I have described and claimed broadly thecombination in the switch interlocking mechanism of the two clutchesarranged to move in opposite directions in accordance with each movementof one of the interlocking elements, and operating upon another elemeutof the system in one direction or another, as determined by a thirdelement of the system. My present invention is limited to the use ofthose devices in combination with a detector bar which is shown in thedrawings at O and which is provided with an operating connectionindicated at M M M This connection is made engageable with either of theclutches by means of an adjustable clutch engaging device which, asshown, consists of a pin N fastened to the end of rod M and engaged bythe forked ends of the lever arms L and Z, the said pin being readilymoved from one clutch to the other when the clutches register asindicated in Figs. 1 and '7, the position of the clutch engaging devicebeing regulated by the position of the switch lock bar G by means of aconnection K K K, the rod K having connected with it a slot K into whichextends a pin N secured to the rod M. I

In the diagram Fig. 7 the detector bar is shown in the position which itoccupies when the switch is unlocked, the other parts of the systembeing shown in the same relative positions they occupy in Fig. 1 of thedrawings.

The diagram Fig. 9 illustrates the result effected by locking the switchin the position shown in Figs. 1 and 7. The rod 1 to effect this lockingis thrust upward, this movement drawing the bolt H into the notch G andforcing the clamp Z with which the rod M is engaged to the right, theresult of which is to throw the dectector bar over to the positionindicated in Fig. 9, the bar being, of course, as is usually the case,secured on the ends of rocking levers P P.

It will be readily seen that the movement of the switch from theposition shown in Fig. 7 to that shown in Fig. 8 will have the eifect ofdrawing down the rod M until its terminal pin N engages with the clutchZ To lock the switch in this new position the rod 1 is drawn downward asshown in Fig. 8, and at the same time by reason of the action of clutchL the rod M is drawn to the right as before, and the detector bar againforced from the position shown in Fig. 7 to that shown in Fi 8.

It will be noticed that no matter which way the switch lock is moved thedetector bar is always moved in the same direction, and always from theposition below the rail to a position also below the rail, there beingno position of rest in which the detector bar is left standing above therail.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a switch interlocking system a detector bar in combination with anactuating connection including a clutch engaging device, two clutchesarranged to move simultaneously in opposite directions and actuated in afixed relation to one of the interlocked elements of the system, andmechanism for operating the clutch engaging device operating in a fixedrelation to another element of the system to engage the said device withone or the other of said clutches.

2. The combination with a railroad switch of switch locking mechanismthe bolts of which are actuated by an element other than the connectionto throw the switch and moved in opposite directions to lock the switchin its alternate positions, clutches actuated simultaneously in oppositedirections by each movement of the mechanism which actuates the lockbolts, a detector bar, connections for actuating said detector barincluding a clutch engaging device which is adapted to engage eitherclutch at will, a connection from the switch to the clutch engagingdevice whereby with each movement of the switch the said device isshifted from one clutch to the other, and means whereby the switchlocking bolts and the clutches are simultaneously operated, allsubstantially as and for the purpose specitied.

3. In combination with the movable rails of a switch a locking bar Gmoved by said rails, a bolt or bolts as H H adapted to lock the bar G ineither correct position of the switch, a pair of oppositely disposedlevers L Z having clutches as L Z at their ends which clutches registerwith each other when the switch is unlocked, power transmittingmechanism whereby the lock bolt or bolts are moved and whereby, also,the levers L Z are simul ICC taneously moved in relatively oppositedirec one clutch to the other at each shift of the tions, a detectorbar, a power transmitting switch rails. connection having'a deviceadapted to engage the clutches and arranged so that it can be JAMESJEWETT TURNER shifted from one to the other while they reg- Witnesses:

ister and a connection from bar G whereby W. S. WHITE,

said clutch engaging device is shifted from CHARLES A. GEEGAN.

